Expression of HIV-1 matrix protein p17 and association with B-cell lymphoma in HIV-1 transgenic mice

Abstract

Significance Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are associated with HIV infection. Current hypotheses on lymphomagenesis, based on immunosuppression and/or activation and/or inflammation, are generic and do not provide mechanistic, testable models. Here we show that several HIV proteins are expressed in a HIV transgenic mouse model of lymphoma, but only Matrix/p17 is consistently expressed at high levels even in early disease stages. Microarray analyses of gene expression showed an enrichment of recombination-activating genes ( Rag1/2 ) in mouse lymphoma tissue. When activated human B cells were treated with p17, induction of RAG1 expression was observed in three of seven donors. Taken together, and in the context of the literature, our results point to the involvement of p17 in supporting B-cell growth and genetic instability.